


The Black Sun Hungers

by DigitalThespian



Series: Black Sun AU [1]
Category: Mumintroll | Moomins Series - Tove Jansson
Genre: Black Sun AU, Corruption, Horror, M/M, Mild Blood, Obsession, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-11
Updated: 2019-08-11
Packaged: 2020-08-23 19:57:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20207455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DigitalThespian/pseuds/DigitalThespian
Summary: Moomin has a misadventure, and gets far more than he bargained for.The Black Sun yearns for its next victim.





	The Black Sun Hungers

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by the Black Sun AU! https://black-sun-au.tumblr.com/post/186565059108/hey-you-interested-in-black-sun-heard-about-it  
This was originally an unrelated horror piece, but I came across the AU while trying to figure out the plot, and this was born! I hope you enjoy, and be sure to check out the AU!  
I might rename this, I'm not quite happy with the title, but this is all I've got right now.

He never should have come here. He was hoping to find something interesting to show Snufkin but now he was trapped in this- this _labyrinth_, and he was becoming quite sure that he wasn't alone--

A horrible, agonized scream rent the air, and Moomin instinctively knew he would be next if he didn't _get out of here_.

He dashed down the corridor, a paw pressed to the gash in his side. He had fallen through the floor while exploring an abandoned manse, which in hindsight was a foolish place to be poking around, but how was he supposed to know he would end up _here?_ A strange ambiance hung over the stone basement of the mansion, as though something was leeching and twisting the natural colors of this place. Greens turned to brown, browns turned to grey, but worst of all, blues slowly bled away to a sickly yellow. He knew there was more to this mansion than met the eye, he had only fallen one floor at most; not enough to break anything, at least. But...

He had gone up _three_ flights of stairs to no avail. He was beginning to worry he was trapped in some sort of nightmare.

Just give up. Give in. Roll over and die, it will be easier that way. Why prolong your suffering?

Moomin froze. Where had that thought come from? That wasn't like him at all, and besides, he was getting out of here, whatever it took! He renewed his efforts to find an exit. He turned a corner to find _another_ set of stairs, with a bookcase at the bottom, just as before. And once again, all the books were written in this strange wobbly script, one that Moomin could neither make heads nor tails of. He hurried up the stairs as well as he could without aggravating his injury, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he noticed the shift from stone to wood beyond the first half-flight of stairs. That likely meant he was almost out.

He reached the top of the stairs and was met with a plain, wooden door. His excitement was short-lived, however; the door was locked, and wouldn't budge. He peeked through the crack between door and frame. His eyes widened when he saw several heavy deadbolts holding the door shut. That's.. not a good sign. Deadbolts or no, that door had to open somehow, and he really only had one choice: The door may be thick oak, but he doubted the frame was as sturdy as the door. He would apologize if he ever ran into the owner of this place. Ordinarily he wouldn't do this, but considering the circumstances..

Better to ask forgiveness than permission.

Moomin took a few steps back, then threw his full weight into the door. It shattered into pieces with a deafening crash, his strength and weight proving far too much for it to bear. He teetered dangerously for a moment before he recovered, having expected _far_ more resistance. He cautiously made his way into the manor proper, only to step on something that felt like.. sand? Looking down, he noticed that it wasn't sand, but salt. There was a neat line that stretched from one side of the doorway to the other, though it was broken in places by errant wood fragments, and much more noticeably, Moomin's foot.

He hoped that wasn't important.

He made his way gingerly out of the wreckage he had created, taking care not to embed any splinters into his feet. He was injured enough as it was, he didn't need any more trouble. He carefully made his way towards what should have been the front of the mansion, but was soon met with another troubling development. He could hear a terrible noise, what could almost be called a growl, but it was somehow darker, almost sinister. Moomin's heart skipped a beat as the icy claws of fear sank into his mind, an all-consuming terror that surpassed even what he had felt earlier.

He had to get out. Now. If he stayed even a moment longer he was sure he would perish, never to be seen again.

He cast his gaze about, looking for a faster way out. He caught sight of a window though an open doorway, and without a second thought he darted into the room. He realized that perhaps he should be more careful, but that rational part of him was riding shotgun to the primal terror that drove his escape. He dashed to the window, noting that he was on the second floor, somehow. If he wasn't hurt he could probably make the jump, but as it was, climbing down was his best option. He pulled at the window, only to find that it was stuck fast. He could break it, sure, but the glass shards would make climbing through nearly impossible unless he wanted to be all day about it.

He would have to find another way down. He turned to go, but froze as he caught a glimpse of something in the reflection of the mirror. He whirled around, but he was alone in the room, which seemed to be a study of sorts. He must be seeing things. He gave the window one last look, and his blood turned to ice.

His reflection was staring him down, which wouldn't be unusual, except for one detail; he was facing away from the window, looking over his shoulder, but his reflection..

His reflection was facing forward, and as he watched, it slowly grinned at him with bloodstained teeth. It winked one crimson eye, but before Moomin could react, there was an ear-splitting roar from deep inside the mansion.

He started, his head snapping back to face the door momentarily, but when he looked back, his reflection was normal again, if it had even been different to begin with. He shook himself out of his shock, and walked quickly back out into the hall to try to find another way out of this place. Soon enough he came to the front foyer he had entered through, and he looked over the railing to the first floor. There was a hole in the floor, just large enough to fit through, but not without scraping the edges. Well, that explained the gash in his side.

He ran down the stairs, staying close to the walls to avoid any more unexpected pitfalls. With surprisingly little trouble he made his way to the front door, which he had left ajar. There was a strange, intricate pattern carved into the floor around it; however, he was of no mind to investigate. He ran out of the mansion without a second thought.

He ran as fast as he could for a few moments more, then stopped to catch his breath. He chanced a look back at the mansion, but from the outside it seemed perfectly normal. He began his trek back to Moominhouse, hoping that he could put this all behind him.

* * *

Moomin may have escaped, but the trail of blood he had left behind him would finish what he had unwittingly started. The carved channels around the door seemed to draw it in, until his lifeblood had come to completely fill the strange glyphs and symbols that adorned the entryway.

There was a moment of unfettered stillness, the forest quieting as nature itself recoiled from the dark power gathering in that accursed mansion. The silence was broken by a slow, sinister chuckle.

"Well, it would seem we've been given a chance to take our rightful places."

"It certainly would, my love. How did you put it all those years ago? 'Let's go fill Moominvalley with crime'?"

"You always know just what to say, my dove."

* * *

Moomin awoke the next morning feeling like his head was full of cotton, and he wondered why he felt so drained. He had just woken from the strangest nightmare about an awful labyrinthine mansion, and he put a paw to where he had been hurt in the dream-

He yanked his paw away with a yelp, and looked down in horror at the bandages around his side. He remembered now; he had gotten back to Moominhouse and collapsed, having lost far too much blood, but Mamma got him patched up and in bed. He noticed there was a glass of orange juice on his nightstand, and he took it gratefully, making a mental note to thank Mamma later.

He sat for a moment, gathering his strength. He finished his juice, and gingerly got to his feet. Fortunately the blood loss seemed to be the only major issue; nothing felt broken. He made his way downstairs, resolving to look for Snufkin later. He would surely want to hear about all his misadventure.

* * *

Snufkin sat at his tent, staring down at the cards. This didn't make any sense; he was getting mixed readings, almost as if he was getting his fortune and someone else's at the same time.

He put the cards away, deciding that if he wasn't getting something clear, it meant he didn't need to take any particular course of action. He gathered his day-to-day things and packed a satchel.

It would be nice to see Moomin today; if he could do as he pleased, he wanted to spend time with his best friend. He set out towards Moominhouse, but faltered for a moment.

Well, his romantic feelings for Moomin may have had _something_ to do with his decision, but that was neither here nor there.

* * *

Moomin walked along the path, intending to see if Snufkin was at his campsite, but he saw a strange figure in the distance lurking on the edge of the forest. He thought he could make out Snufkin's pointed hat, and so he set off that direction, waving excitedly.

The figure gave a relaxed wave- how very like Snufkin, Moomin thought- then turned into the forest.

That was rather _un_like Snufkin; perhaps he simply had something to show him that had to be shown in the forest? Moomin couldn't imagine what that could be, which meant if it was true, this would be an interesting surprise indeed!

* * *

"Ah, Snufkin, my dear! It's so good to see you!"

Snufkin's head whipped around, and his eyes widened at the sight before him. It was Moomin, but his eyes.. they were blood red, instead of the usual blue. "M- Moomin..? What happened to your eyes? Are you okay?"

Moomin's lips slowly parted in a wide grin, but the darkness behind his gaze turned what should have been a soft, sweet gesture into a twisted caricature of the real thing. "Never better, my love." Snufkin gave a start at Moomin's endearment, but Moomin continued before he could say anything. "I see beyond the veil cast upon us by society, the chains that hold us back. My eyes see the truth behind all things."

Snufkin was sure he didn't like where this was going. "..what truth?"

"Rules, laws, codes of honor; these are all simply an extension of the truth. They are the will of those who have power. If no one holds power over you, the only will left is your own."

* * *

"Oh Moomin, my dove, don't fret." Snufkin- or at least, someone who _looked_ like Snufkin- cradled Moomin's face gently. "The blood isn't mine, I'm perfectly okay." His tunic was black, and his scarf was a sickly yellow- and why did that color look so familiar?- with a spattering of blood on both. His hat matched his tunic, with a lone red feather adorning the side, and curiously, the underside of the brim was red as well. He gently ran his fingertips along the edge of the bandages wrapped around Moomin's torso. "But what about you? You need to take better care of yourself, darling."

Moomin blushed furiously, and he sputtered in confusion. Snufkin was never like this, what was going on here..? "It was an accident, but I'm healing just fine. I was exploring that mansion-"

Snufkin looked at Moomin with an unreadable expression. "So it was you, then?"

* * *

"Moomin, you're not acting like yourself. What's gotten into you?" Snufkin furrowed his brow.

"Why, Snufkin; _you_ did. You wormed your way into my heart and opened my eyes to the truth. You're the reason I'm free; free from a prison I never would have known I was trapped in." Moomin's voice was reverent, and he stared at Snufkin with naked adoration. He took a few steps closer to Snufkin, who barely kept himself from taking a step back. "I owe you _everything_."

Snufkin shifted nervously. Something was wrong here.

_Very_ wrong.

* * *

"You were trapped in that mansion..? But I saw you before I left, how could..?" Moomin was confused, and terrified, and despite his knowledge that this wasn't the real Snufkin, incredibly flustered.

"Dove," Snufkin gently caressed Moomin's cheek with his thumb, and Moomin blushed deeper still, unused to such open affection from the Mumrik. He was beginning to feel guilty that he enjoyed the attention from this.. _impostor_ so much. "Surely by now you've realized I'm not the same Snufkin."

"I had my suspicions, yes.." Moomin tried not to make eye contact, but something about that piercing gaze drew Moomin in. "If you're not him, then who _are_ you?"

* * *

"I'm not your Moomin, true, but I'll gladly be _your_ Moomin. He doesn't deserve you, he should love you with all his being. The way _I_ do." Moomin shrugged and waved a paw casually, as though he hadn't just confessed his undying love just moments ago. "His loss."

Snufkin was stunned. This was everything he had ever dreamed of, but why did it have to be this- this _farce_, this wasn't love, it was obsession!

"Love? Are you alright?" Moomin laid a gentle paw on Snufkin's cheek. "Do you need anything?"

..So why did Snufkin want it so badly?

* * *

"Why are you doing this? If you know I'm not the same Moomin, then why-" Moomin covered his face with his paws, too flustered to continue.

"Well, I'm here right now, not there, and it seems to me that there is a woefully underappreciated Moomin right before my very eyes. How could I do anything _but_ dote on you, my dove?" Snufkin took another step towards Moomin, nearly chest to chest. "You need only ask, and I will do whatever I can to make you happy."

Moomin was silent for a moment, as he weighed his options.

* * *

"What are we to each other, where you're from? How do I know I can trust you?" Snufkin nearly screamed when Moomin opened his mouth, displaying a forked tongue.

He closed his mouth again, then leaned in close. "We did that to our tongues together, to show our devotion to each other. You freed me from my stifling existence, and I knew then that you were the one. So when you asked me to marry you, I was overjoyed; the pain was nothing in the face of the knowledge that I was yours forever."

"You.. you did that to _yourself_.. for _me_?" Snufkin stared openly, his mouth hanging open in horror even as his heart fluttered to hear the conviction in Moomin's voice as he pledged himself to Snufkin so.

* * *

"Moomin, dear, let me show you the truth. You deserve better than to live such a stifling existence." Snufkin leaned even closer, and Moomin shuddered as he felt his breath on his face.

"What.. What does that mean?"

"It means..."

* * *

"...you won't have to be tied down ever again. I'll be yours, and we can be free; free to do whatever we want.."

* * *

"...you can be with me as much as you like, even when I go during the winter. I'll be yours, and we can go on as many adventures as you like.."

* * *

"..together to the very end." Two voices spoke together, and two voices answered in kind.

"..and what if I don't want it to end..?" Two pairs of eyes averted, their owners' shame weighing on their minds.

"'Forever' can be arranged; for you," Two hands reached out, their gentle caress hiding their true intent. "For you, there is _nothing_ I wouldn't do."

The valley held its breath, teetering on the precipice of something terrible. A caress turned to an embrace; the shame and guilt ebbing away in the face of such tender affections. The darkness that had threatened to fall over the valley was fast approaching.

Two minds ensnared by their siren's song, two heads cradled lovingly. "What do I have to do?"

As the darkness fell all around them, and the noise of the forest faded to unnatural silence, Moomin and Snufkin realized that perhaps they had been too hasty.

"Don't look away." Blood flowed freely from claw and knife, running down the wrists of their would-be paramours, and Moomin and Snufkin realized they may have made a mistake.

Two screams rent the air as the corruption took hold, dripped into their eyes from a gentle, loving hand.

Their realizations had come far too late.


End file.
